Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Making Home
Improvements
Objective
In this lesson, you will learn useful words and expressions related to
making home improvements. You will learn measurement units and
how to express a unit conversion. You will also learn the names for
basic housing materials and tools.
Warm-Up
A. Brainstorming
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 1
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Warm-Up cont.
B. Vocabulary Preview
Dialogues
Read the dialogues, and practise with a partner.
B: Okay. Here is our selection for that size. You will find out more about
measurements on page 4.
A: Thank you. Are these easy to install?
B: Yes, but check the box. You may need a few tools.
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 2
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Dialogues cont.
B. Shopping for Flooring C. Shopping for Paint
A: Excuse me, do you have a flooring section? A: Excuse me, do you sell paint?
B: Yes. It's at the back of the store. B: Yes. Do you need interior or exterior paint?
What kind of flooring are you interested in?
A: Interior.
A: Carpet, I think.
B: Which room are you painting?
B: Okay. Do you need a hand?
A: The bathroom. What type
A: I think I'm okay, thanks. of paint do you recommend?
B: Sure. Let me know if you need anything. B: We recommend semi-gloss paint for bathrooms.
A: Actually, what is the cost per square foot? A: Thank you. How many cans
do I need for 35 square feet?
B: Our carpet ranges from $5–$10 per square foot.
B: You will probably need about 1.5 cans.
A: Okay. Is installation extra?
A: Okay. I'll buy two. Thanks for your help.
B: Yes. Installation is $2 per square foot.
B: No problem. Let me know if you
need any help choosing paint colours.
Common Questions
Listen to your teacher read these • Do you need a hand?
common English questions from
• Can I help you find something?
a home improvement store.
• What size is your wall?
Then recite them together
• How big is your dining room?
as a class and come up with
some possible answers. • What type of flooring are you interested in?
• Is it free delivery?
• Is it easy to install?
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 3
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Types of Measurements
Now let’s learn some common types of measurements.
A. Length
Length measures how long something is. It is measured in units. Common Units
Depending on the type of measurement you are doing, it may be
Here are some common
called by other names, including width (how wide), height (how high),
units to measure length,
and depth (how deep). from small to large.
Metric
• W
idth (W) measures length horizontally (from side to side).
It can also refer to the shorter side of a shape or object. • millimetre (mm)
• centimetre (cm)
• Height (H) measures length vertically (from top to bottom). • metre (m)
• D
epth (D) can be measured horizontally if you view the object Imperial
from the front, or vertically if you view the object from the top.
• inch (in / ")
• Length (L) usually refers to the longest side of a shape or object. • foot (ft / ')
• yard (yd)
You will learn more about when to use these words in Part C.
B. Area
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 4
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
• rectangle
basic shapes L×W
• triangle
2-D • rug
flat objects L×W
• fabric
• wall
flat, upright objects W×H
• window
• bookcase
objects that you
• kitchen cabinet W×H×D
view from the front
• couch
• bathtub
open containers • swimming pool L×W×D
• open box
Examples:
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 5
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Examples
Fraction Decimal Words
• The length is 43.4 centimetres. (forty-three point four)
1/2 0.5 half / a half / one-half • It costs $4.00 for 1/2 of a square metre. (half )
1/3 0.333 a third / one-third • We're painting two-thirds of the room white.
• I need 1.5 rolls of wallpaper. (one and a half )
2/3 0.666 two-thirds
E. Approximate Measurements
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 6
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Unit Conversion
When taking measurements and doing renovations, you may need
to convert some units. You can find handy "conversion" tools online.
When describing an exact conversion, you can round up to the
nearest decimal point.
B. Converting Units
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 7
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Types of Materials
Now let’s review some common types of materials at a home
improvement store. Look up any words that you don't know.
• blinds / shutters
• Do you want wooden or vinyl blinds?
• curtains / drapes / panels (fabric)
Window • Do you already have a curtain rod?
• sheers (curtains that let light in)
Fixtures • Do you need curtain rings/hooks?
• window shade (pull down)
• Do you have a track system installed?
• window film (stick on)
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 8
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Practice
A. Matching
Match the questions and answers, and practise them with a partner.
1. How large is your apartment? a) We're deciding between laminate or hardwood.
2. How many cans of paint will we need? b) Sure. Do you want fabric or wooden ones?
3. What type of flooring are you interested in? c) Buy at least two cans to cover 200 square feet.
4. Can you show me the blinds? d) It's just over 1,000 square feet.
5. What is the length of the kitchen counter? e) It's 15 inches long.
You will find one common error in each of the following questions.
Correct the errors in your notebook. Then try asking your partner these questions.
2. How many centimetres in one inch? 5. Is this all you have on stock?
3. How much is the carpet per squares? 6. How width is your counter?
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 9
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Tools
A. Reference
put in or
level balance a picture screwdriver
take out a screw
thread onto
prevent the
nut a bolt to clamp washer
loosening of a nut
something together
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 10
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Tools cont.
B. Pair Practice
Now work in pairs and take turns asking each other questions.
Example:
C. Borrowing Tools
Now walk around your classroom. Imagine your classmates are your
neighbours. Ask your neighbours if you can borrow a variety of tools
for a variety of home improvement projects. Tell your neighbour why
you need each tool. Review the example dialogues for ideas.
Example 1:
Example 2:
A: Thanks anyway.
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 11
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Review
Task 1
TAKING MEASUREMENTS
Use a tape measure. Write down the measurements for the objects in the chart
below. Ask your teacher whether you should use metric or imperial units.
Task 2
MAKING CONVERSIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 12
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Review cont.
Task 3
TOOL KIT
A. Matching
d) sandpaper
4. I need to tighten these chairs.
e) wrench
5. I have to cut this piece of wood.
f) drill
6. I want to hang my calendar on the wall.
g) Allen key
7. I need to make a hole in the wall for this screw.
h) pliers
8. This shelf isn't straight.
i) level
9. I need to take out these screws.
j) nail
10. I need to cut this wire. k) screw
11. I need to smooth the plaster on the wall. l) tape measure
B. Fixing Up My Home
Now have a chat with your teacher. Tell your teacher some projects you
need to do around your home. Explain what tools and materials you will
need. Do you need to take any measurements? Estimate the sizes of the
materials you will need.
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 13
Making Home Improvements
Functional English
Learner Reflection
MAKING HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Add check marks () to show what you've learned in this lesson.
My Notes
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1) 14